diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/sunnypilot/qt/offroad/settings/models_panel.cc b/selfdrive/ui/sunnypilot/qt/offroad/settings/models_panel.cc
index d0533b4a99..c3f795e18c 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/sunnypilot/qt/offroad/settings/models_panel.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/sunnypilot/qt/offroad/settings/models_panel.cc
@@ -426,11 +426,8 @@ void ModelsPanel::updateLabels() {
   if (lagdEnabled) {
     auto liveDelayBytes = params.get("LiveDelay");
     if (!liveDelayBytes.empty()) {
-      AlignedBuffer aligned_buf_ld;
-      capnp::FlatArrayMessageReader cmsg(aligned_buf_ld.align(liveDelayBytes.data(), liveDelayBytes.size()));
-      cereal::LiveDelayData::Reader LD = cmsg.getRoot<cereal::LiveDelayData>();
-
-      auto lateralDelay = LD.getLateralDelay();
+      auto LD = loadCerealEvent(params, "LiveDelay");
+      float lateralDelay = LD->getLiveDelay().getLateralDelay();
       desc += QString("<br><br><b><span style=\"color:#e0e0e0\">%1</span></b> <span style=\"color:#e0e0e0\">%2 s</span>")
               .arg(tr("Live Steer Delay:")).arg(QString::number(lateralDelay, 'f', 3));
     }
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/sunnypilot/qt/offroad/settings/models_panel.h b/selfdrive/ui/sunnypilot/qt/offroad/settings/models_panel.h
index 1906ebd2a0..1a39800dde 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/sunnypilot/qt/offroad/settings/models_panel.h
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/sunnypilot/qt/offroad/settings/models_panel.h
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 
 #include <QProgressBar>
 
+#include "selfdrive/ui/sunnypilot/qt/util.h"
 #include "selfdrive/ui/sunnypilot/qt/offroad/settings/settings.h"
 
 class ModelsPanel : public QWidget {
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/sunnypilot/qt/util.cc b/selfdrive/ui/sunnypilot/qt/util.cc
index ca85935d0b..2e066e88b5 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/sunnypilot/qt/util.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/sunnypilot/qt/util.cc
@@ -110,3 +110,16 @@ QStringList searchFromList(const QString &query, const QStringList &list) {
   }
   return search_results;
 }
+
+std::optional<cereal::Event::Reader> loadCerealEvent(Params& params, const std::string& _param) {
+  std::string bytes = params.get(_param);
+
+  try {
+    AlignedBuffer aligned_buf;
+    capnp::FlatArrayMessageReader cmsg(aligned_buf.align(bytes.data(), bytes.size()));
+    return cmsg.getRoot<cereal::Event>();
+  } catch (kj::Exception& e) {
+    qInfo() << "invalid " << QString::fromStdString(_param) << ":" << e.getDescription().cStr();
+    return std::nullopt;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/sunnypilot/qt/util.h b/selfdrive/ui/sunnypilot/qt/util.h
index 089b5370cc..4b9d615ce5 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/sunnypilot/qt/util.h
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/sunnypilot/qt/util.h
@@ -15,8 +15,11 @@
 #include <QRegularExpression>
 #include <QWidget>
 
+#include "selfdrive/ui/sunnypilot/ui.h"
+
 QString getUserAgent(bool sunnylink = false);
 std::optional<QString> getSunnylinkDongleId();
 std::optional<QString> getParamIgnoringDefault(const std::string &param_name, const std::string &default_value);
 QMap<QString, QVariantMap> loadPlatformList();
 QStringList searchFromList(const QString &query, const QStringList &list);
+std::optional<cereal::Event::Reader> loadCerealEvent(Params& params, const std::string& _param);